At the main gates of KMLA stand two statues: Admiral Lee Sun-Shin, and the scholar Jung Yak-yong. They are considered spiritual teachers, and students are encouraged to inherit their spirit. Admiral Lee Sun-Shin became a symbol for Korean patriotism. He achieved a remarkable 24 consecutive wins in battles during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. Jung Yak-yong is the most popular and greatest authority of Silhak, the Realist School of Confucianism. He is known as a world-wide scholar who over a period of nineteen years wrote over 500 books on Silhak.